


Atticus and the Cat

by orangefriday



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Cat, Link pov, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 15:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17831315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangefriday/pseuds/orangefriday
Summary: a schmico fic about link and his relationship with nico’s cat





	Atticus and the Cat

“Your cat’s a jerk, you know that?” Link says, snatching his hand back quickly before the jaws of death maimed him. 

Nico’s cat may be all cute and whatever with its blue eyes and little white slippers but appearances are only for fools to fall for. He moves to Nico’s couch in a hurry, wondering why he even bothers every time to greet the Dark Feline Overlord.

“Just leave him alone, dude.” Nico says, absentmindedly and hands Link a beer. “We just moved in two days ago. He’s still getting used to Seattle. Not much sun to bathe in.”

Link watches as the cat follows Nico with its devilish eyes as the fellow plops down on the couch. “It was an ass before you moved here.”

“ _It_  has a name,” Nico says pointedly and pulls out the tv remote from a box on the floor. The cat jumps from its perch on the cat tree and languidly makes its way onto the couch and fits itself beside Nico’s thigh. The TV is switched on and Nico starts to pet the cat. “Don’t listen to him, Ming. You’re just getting settled, aren’t you?”

“Whatever.” Link takes a swig of his beer and side-eyes the cat. He looks disgustingly at Nico who’s now laying tinny kisses on the cat’s forehead.

Then, ever so slowly, the cat moves its head to  _glare_  at Link, as if to threaten  _This is my human._

Shivers run laps up and down Link’s back.

*

“How was that date?” Link asks.  They’re doing a total ankle replacement and the OR is relatively empty. It’s been almost a week since they started at Grey-Sloan Memorial and Link is impressed Nico even managed to snag a date so soon after moving. “More suction here, Bohkee.”

Nico shakes his head. “A bust. He didn’t like Ming.”

Link looks up from the mangled nerves and ligaments and sets Nico with a disbelieving look. 

“What?”

“What did it do?”

Nico couldn’t look more offended, even with his surgical mask on. Link wonders what excuse Nico is going to use this time for his cat’s bad behaviour. He’s heard it all before:  _he doesn’t like strangers, he’s knows if you hate him, he’s just picky about who he likes,_ yada yada yada. Nico’s got some weird thing where if his satanic cat doesn’t like his dates, he dumps them. Poor guy.

“Why do you assume he did anything? He’s just a cat.”

“Yeah, born of Satan’s own flesh and blood.”

“You talking about my cat or your taste in pussies?”

“Why you–” but the patient goes into v-tach before Link can finish his thought.

*

“Here, kitty, kitty.”

Nothing.

The apartment is still and quiet. Maybe Nico doesn’t have a cat after all and Link doesn’t actually have to feed anything that could very possibly rip his arm out of its socket. 

Wishful thinking, Link says to himself as he spots a dark silhouette sauntering from out of the shadows.

The cat stops about ten feet from Link, a calculating and ominous look on its face. Its eyes catch a light from  _somewhere_ and Link swears they flash  _red._

The grip he has on the bowl of cat food tightens involuntarily. 

Link shakes himself out of it, choosing to ignore the fear filling up his arteries. He’s a grown man, damnit. 

“Ha, there you are.” He puts down the bowl in front of him. “Here, your dad’s on a date and I’ve been instructed to present offerings to the beast.”

The cat doesn’t move. 

Link takes a step back. 

“Hey, eyes down here. Your food’s ready.”

It continues to stare.

Later, when Nico texts Link, he lies that he totally watched his cat eat his meal and that he totally didn’t run to the door without a backwards glance and he did  _not_ slam the door so hard that maybe a hinge broke off.

*

“Schmitt, are you sick  _again_?”

He hears Helm call the intern’s name and Link looks up from his phone to see the interns behind him, lining up for coffee too. He goes back to his phone but feigns interest, keeping all ears to the conversation happening behind him. After all, the intern’s the reason why Link has to feed the devil and why Nico is all googly eyed all the time.

“I’m not,” Schmitt sniffs. “It’s allergies. I think I’m allergic to Nico’s cat.”

“Ooooh, is that some code word for something dirty?” Qadri almost sings from excitement. The rest of the interns laugh. 

“No, I - ah ah–” Schmitt sneezes four times in a row and Link winces, feeling mighty sorry for the man. He knew that darn cat was trouble through and through. “No, he just kept rubbing all over me and wouldn’t let me stop petting him.”

More laughter. “Are you talking about Dr. Sexy or his cat?”

“His cat! Shut  _up_ , Taryn!” 

Link is in total disbelief. How dare that  _thing,_ that  _animal_ , that  _cat_  be all chummy with an intern but practically commit murder every time Link sets a foot in the apartment! 

“That cat is  _bad_  news, dude! Don’t let your guard down. I know his tricks! He’s a sneaky little bastard, that  _cat_! _”_

He doesn’t know he’s done it until the interns are staring up at him wide-eyed in confusion and horror.  

Nico later sends him a cat meme, ridiculing him on his outburst.

*

“What the hell is wrong with your cat?” Link is in a rage. Nico’s just all smirky and smug. Link wants to hit his face.

“What are you talking about, man?”

He almost throws the charts on top of the nurses' station but catches himself. He turns to Nico squarely. “He’s supposed to hate  _everyone_. He almost chewed off my face the first time I met him. And he was just a  _kitten!”_ Link has to take a much needed breath before he continues, “But he’s  _fine_  with your boyfriend?  _Fine!_ I saw your instagram. They’re practically best friends! _”_

Nico looks down and laughs. “They’re pretty cute, huh?”

“The last thing that cat is  _cute.”_

“Ming really loves Levi.” The fellow suddenly has a whimsical look on his face as he stares beyond Link’s shoulder. He has to swallow in a gag when he sees it’s Levi Schmitt behind them, talking to a patient. 

“Do you even hear yourself? I don’t know who in good god’s name you’re talking about but that is  _not_  your cat.”

Nico doesn’t seem to have heard a word Link had said. Instead, he looks on wistfully, sighing with some type of sickening sweetness that Link thinks the cat probably infected his friend with. “I think I’m going to marry him.”

Link throws his hands in the air, curses the crazy cat, and mourns for Nico’s doomed fate.  

*

Somewhere, in the high perches of Nico’s apartment, a cat purrs in satisfaction for a job well done. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ming is the name of my kitty. [Here's a pic of the big guy!](https://www.instagram.com/p/BteTDoFg0Z3/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet)
> 
> send me fic prompts at [@glassesandkim](http://glassesandkim.tumblr.com)!


End file.
